"Man, am I full," Tucker slouched into the padding of the booth, patting his stomach satisfied.
"Considering you just ate the equivalent of four innocent cows, I'd hope so," Sam muttered darkly from her seat opposite Tucker, a salad placed in front of her.
"I have to say I needed this break; from school, ghost-hunting and my parent's new 'bestie'," Danny stretched his arms behind his head and reclined back into his own seat next to Sam.
"Dude, you can't complain about ghosts, there hasn't been any for ages. Not since your last fight with Skulker," Tucker pointed out.
Danny frowned, confused, "You're right. I haven't even seen an ectopus around here. I wonder why?"
Tucker shrugged his shoulders, "Your karma points tallied up?"
"Focus, guys! Tucker, you still have to do your half of the deal," Sam gritted out.
"Right, I'm on it."
Pulling out his PDA, Tucker's thumbs sped across the screen as he explained, "Since Tony Stark has made his entire company run on clean energy, his phone releases a slightly different signature to everyone else's. All I have to do is search through the wavelengths and… got it!" Tucker grinned, holding the small screen triumphantly up to Danny and Sam.
Danny hesitated, "Uh, Tucker? What exactly am I looking at?"
Glancing at his PDA, Tucker blushed, "Oh, that's strange. I swear I had a signal just a moment ago from somewhere down in New Mexico, but it's disappeared."
Danny leant forward in his seat, "What does that mean? Bad reception?"
Tucker tapped at his screen, a frown marring his face, "That couldn't be possible. Stark's networking system is a work of art – its way beyond all the other competitors! Something like a weak signal shouldn't be able to completely remove such a unique wave signature like his from the satellite network."
"I still don't get it," Danny stated.
Sam heaved a sigh, "It means that either something or someone is messing with the signal, or Stark has actually created a functioning portal. We can only use the Fenton-Phones in the Ghost Zone, remember? Regular phones don't work, they keep shorting out."
"So I guess that means I'm heading out to New Mexico this weekend? Thank goodness it's break now."
Tucker pumped his fist in the air, "Oh yeah! Beautiful beaches, beautiful ladies and beautiful ladies on those beautiful beaches just waiting for the T-Man to give them a little mouth-to-mouth resuscitation."
"Tucker, do you even know where New Mexico is?" Sam poked her plastic fork at the techno-geek.
"Isn't it just old Mexico with strip-malls?" Tucker asked.
"Ugh, I give up."
Danny waved his hands worriedly, "Guys, please. Now is seriously not the time. Besides, neither of you can come with me anyway."
"What?" Tucker cried, a horrified look on his face.
"That's not fair!" Sam retorted, rounding on Danny, fork still in hand.
Danny pouted guiltily, "I'm sorry, but the quicker I get to where Tony is, the safer for everyone. Being a super-genius doesn't make you smart. Who knows what he'd do if he got access to the Ghost Zone."
Sam relented, "Fine. But only because it's a crisis! You better call us and let us in on what's going on!"
Danny nodded, "Sure thing. Cover me for the weekend will you? I don't know when I'll be back."
Sam opened her mouth to respond, when Tucker clasped his hands together woefully, "Adiós, mi señoritas! I will miss each and every one of you and your bikinis."
Danny and Sam just rolled their eyes at him, "Idiot."
/ / /
Steve wished he had a gun. He was very tempted to shoot Tony – nowhere of vital importance, just somewhere that would cause a little pain and give him and Miss Foster some peace and quiet.
"I'm serious. This kid is a living, breathing ghost! Can walk through walls and everything! Ask Greeny next time you see him!"
Steve rolled his eyes, trekking forward and tried to ignore his companion.
"Isn't that an oxymoron?" Jane asked sharply, rubbing her forehead. The pressure must have started to get to her, either that or Tony was giving her a migraine.
"Well, sort of. I mean, he is dead, but he's alive as well. Half-dead. His whole life is one big hypocrisy!" Tony chuckled at his own joke.
"So this ghost-child is both dead and alive, and is able to interact with both worlds?" Steve asked, his voice slightly mocking.
"Well, I haven't seen any other ghosts but I suspect he does with the way he talks about them."
Steve shook his head lightly, "And you believed this kid? Is this a part of that wild goose-chase that Natasha was talking about a the other week? Besides, if he was a ghost – I said if, Stark – I highly doubt that one of the most famous ghost-hunting families wouldn't be able to tell."
Tony scoffed, "I wouldn't put the idea of ghosts existing past myself, if I were you. I mean look at where we are! We're on an entirely different planet ruled by mythological gods! Don't think that a kid in spandex isn't capable of drooling zombie-blood."
Jane Foster seemed to snap, "Will you two just shut-up! You're so freaking annoying! If it wasn't for the fact that I feel like I'm trudging through invisible sludge, I'd come over there and—"
Catching something in the corner of his eye, Steve peered down the electrified path, "What is that?"
Something was coming.
/ / /
Thor pressed his horse to go faster, racing in front of the guards accompanying him, Sif and the Warriors Three following him closely behind.
"Do you really think it's her, Thor?" Volstagg called out excitedly.
"Who else could it possibly be?" Thor could feel his heart pounding in time with the horses' thundering hooves.
There was a frown in Sif's voice, "Well don't get your hopes too high, it may not be her. I can see the humans now."
Up ahead, Thor could make out three distinct shapes; one of them appeared to be screaming at the other two taller figures in a feminine voice.
Thor heeled his horse to go faster once again and cried out, "Jane!"
He saw the shortest human turn and cry out something in return. Pulling on the reigns as he approached, he came to a halt merely a foot away, staring into the face of the woman he loved. She was as beautiful as the day he left her.
Sliding gracefully off his saddle, he whispered, "Jane."
The astrophysicist stood there in apparent awe, before leaping at Thor, crying his name as she wrapped her arms around his neck and clung to him. Thor didn't hesitate to return the hug. He could smell her soft scent, hear her ragged breath, and feel her heart beating ever so quickly with her chest pressed up to his own. He felt whole.
"I missed you," Jane mumbled into Thor's neck.
A wide smile spread across his face as he tried to pull her as close as he could without hurting her, "As did I."
Seeing movement out of the corner of his eye, he looked up. A guard stood before him, his lackeys standing behind.
"My lord, we must return to the kingdom quickly to search out how the Midgardians came to be here," at Thor's glare he quickly added, "Lord Odin's orders."
"Great! Can we book a hotel? I want to see what kind of room-service you guys have," twisting his head again, he saw none other than Tony Stark grinning proudly along with a nervous-looking Steve Rogers beside him.
Thor's eyebrows rose, "Friends! What in the nine realms are you doing here?"
/ / /
Danny was cold, hungry and tired. After speeding across the country for five hours at over a hundred and eighty miles, he felt he deserved a break. Seeing lights glimmer from a small town below him, he sank to the ground, not even jostled as his feet hit the dirt-streaked portico of a pet-shop. As the white light crept over him, returning him to his mortal state, he peered around the corner of the building. Finding the streets empty he released a breath of exhaustion and relief.
Sneaking around the pet-shop, Danny slid onto the main street and, spying a diner nearby, tucked his hands into his pockets, whistling a happy tune as he ambled over.
Opening the door to the restaurant, ducking his head to avoid the doorway, Danny finally took the chance to study the empty room. Everything looked new, which was odd for a town that, from a glance, seemed to pride itself in its heritage buildings. A waitress in a smock-dress uniform stood as the only other occupant by the milk bar. Danny pulled up a stool nearby the register and grabbed a laminated menu from a stand, scanning it briefly. The waitress glanced over, picked up her order pad and headed to Danny's seat.
"Want to know our beers?" she asked gruffly.
Danny wrinkled his nose, "Uh, no thanks. Can I just grab a burger with the lot?"
Jotting it down, she replied, "Sure thing. Drink?"
"Strawberry milkshake, please," Danny quickly said.
The waitress sneered, "Sure you don't want to see the kid's menu instead?"
Danny ignored her, sullenly leaning his elbows on the counter and ducking his head so he didn't have to talk to the smarmy wait-staff anymore.
The door's bell jingled, announcing another customer. Danny kept his gaze on the bench-top as the customer approached the counter.
He heard a feminine voice ask, "Hey, Izzy. Can I get two steak and cheese sandwiches, six hot dogs, three chilli burgers and seven regular burgers to go, please?"
Danny lifted his head in surprise, catching the eye of the woman who ordered so much food.
"Celebrating?" Danny made conversation. It didn't hurt to be nice to the locals.
There was a long pause as the woman stared at him, before answering breathlessly, "Yeah, we just finished a big project and the group decided it was time for a break. We have champagne and everything back at the lab."
"Nice. So you live around here?" Danny sat up, stretching his arms over his head. He heard a sharp intake of breath.
"Only until I'm done with my degree. I'm working as an assistant for Doctor Foster – she's an astrophysicist. Works a lot with space and stuff," the woman abruptly held out her hand, "I'm Darcy. Darcy Lewis."
"Danny Fenton," he returned cordially, shaking her hand.
"So, Danny, what are you doing in this little old town? I haven't see you around here before," Darcy perched herself on top of the counter, ignoring the scathing glare from the waitress.
Danny shrugged, deciding the truth would be the best excuse, "I'm searching for someone – a family friend of sorts. He ran off to the desert with some of my parents' work-plans," Danny smiled cruelly, "It's my job to hunt him down."
Darcy took a seat next to Danny, "Whoa. That's pretty crazy. You must be really mad about that. What do your parents do?"
"They're inventors. Pretty good ones too, I think." Danny said proudly.
Danny grinned as a large burger was placed in front of him with a small mountain of French fries. A strawberry milkshake accompanied the meal.
"Thanks," he said gratefully to the grouchy waitress. She rolled her eyes in response and stalked off to the kitchen.
Pushing his plate slightly towards Darcy, he offered her some of his fries, before taking a large bite from his burger, moaning in delight. This was better than Nasty Burger.
He saw Darcy pick up a fry and pop it in her mouth, "So what do you do then, Danny? College? Office job?"
Danny choked slightly in his laughter. Swallowing his bite of his burger, he grinned, "That would mean I'd have to have graduated high school. I'm sixteen."
Darcy paused, another fry half-way to her mouth, "Seriously?"
At Danny's affirmative nod, she twisted in her seat and slumped against the countertop, "Jailbait. Damn it. What is with men these days? First with Jane's 'holier-than-thou' boyfriend, then Tony Stark, and now this kid."
"Wait, did you say Tony Stark?" Danny asked, dropping his burger back on his plate.
"Yeah, he's working with Doctor Foster in her lab at the moment. We just finished this awesome portal-thingy. Hence all the food I've ordered. We're celebrating until Tony, Doctor Foster and their hot friend comes back through and cuts the party short."
Danny growled, a deep frown creasing his face, eliciting a surprised look from Darcy.
Noticing this, Danny smoothed his features and smiled consolingly at the young woman, "Sorry, you just reminded me of something I forgot I had to do," mainly kicking Tony Stark back to last Thursday.
Darcy giggled in response, her posture losing the rigidness it had gained at Danny's sudden change of mood.
"Food's up," A gruff voice from the kitchen called. Darcy stood up hesitantly, glancing at Danny, before making her way to the packed food.
Danny saw his opportunity, "Here, let me help you with those. I can't have you carrying all that food by yourself can I? Especially at night," Danny offered chivalrously, "Can I get this bagged to go?" He asked the waitress, standing up from the stool and throwing down a few bills in payment.
The woman simply grabbed the plate without a word and headed back to the kitchen.
Looking down, he saw Darcy gawping, "Wow. You're really tall."
"Er, yeah, I am." Danny awkwardly replied, before leaning forward to pick up the bags of food that had been placed on the bar, graciously accepting his own as well with a nod, before wandering towards the doors, ducking again the avoid the doorway.
"So, which way?" Danny asked.
Darcy grinned toothily, "Follow me."